Manchester United beat Brighton 2-0 with goals by Lukaku and Matic.
They now play Spurs.
But strife–torn United might not win at Pochettino’s home stadium.
Does Mourinho really want to sell seven players and buy four?
Sunday’s Leicester v Chelsea battle was a 21st century game of English football in a Midlands stadium with an English crowd and an English referee. And the match even had a few English players.
Leicester were quite unlucky. This tie could have gone either way.
But Chelsea won 2-1 in extra time because, for once, Antonio Conte brought his subs on at the right time.
And it was Fabregas who made the difference. He replaced Bakayoko, who got a yellow card, in 46.
I had four bets in play and lost two and ended the day well down.
After Barcelona led 1-0 v Bilbao, I backed Messi Anytime Goalscorer and threw reliable magician rifled a shot low into the bottom corner and Barca cruised to a 2-0 victory that keeps them 11 points above Atletico Madrid.
In the FA Cup semi I thought Leicester’s early pressure would pay off but it didn’t because Chelsea a scored first and that was my second bet down the drain.
I’d backed Willian Anytime but he only got the assist. The classy, compact Brazilian started the move three yards outside his own box, glided over the halfway line and played a genius pass to release Alvaro Morata, who took two touches before the clinical finish that made it 0-1 in 42 minutes.
Morata hadn’t notched in his 13 games since Boxing Day but he’s scored that particular goal many times. And not always in his dreams.
My fourth bet in play was Jamie Vardy Anytime and his strike took far too long to come. When the irrepressible Mahrez crossed from the right, Vardy’s shot was blocked, Iborra hit the rebound and that rebounded as well. But when Iborra’s second shot was saved by Caballero, Vardy stabbed in the loose ball off the keeper’s forearm.
1-1 in 76 minutes.
When Kante clipped a ball into the box, keeper Schmeichel came out too late and missed it, allowing substitute Pedro to head the winner in the 105th minute
If Chelsea can beat Leicester at the Kingpower, they can certainly KO the struggling Saints in the semi-final at Wembley.
Manchester United v Spurs?
Left back Danny Rose wants to go to United, so he hasn’t played all season and if Spurs win he will miss the FA Cup Final.
Conte’s Chelsea will meet Mark Hughes’s Southampton in the other semi-final.
Southampton won 2-0 at Wigan, who are trying to win promotion to the Championship while the Saints, 18th in the EPL, are attempting to avoid relegation to the Championship.
Talking about FA Cup semi-finals, a Mark Hughes volley for Manchester United against Oldham was the most stunning goal I ever saw from the press box at Wembley.
I vividly remember saying: “Wow”! Of all the footballers in Britain, Mark Hughes is the only player who could have scored that goal from that chance.”